Thoughts from Mark "Hat" Rackley

Blessed are those who listen to me,
    watching daily at my doors,
    waiting at my doorway.

• Proverbs 8:34

Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they think they have will be taken from them.”

• Luke 8:18

Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation,

• 1 Peter 2:1-2

Open my eyes that I may see
    wonderful things in your law.

• Psalm 119:18

For we also have had the good news proclaimed to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because they did not share the faith of those who obeyed.

• Hebrews 4:2

and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.

• 2 Thessalonians 2:10

I have hidden your word in my heart
    that I might not sin against you.

• Psalm 119:11

But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.

• Luke 8:15

But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.

• James 1:25

“Q. 73. How is the Word to be read and heard that it may become effectual to salvation?
“A. That the Word may become effectual to salvation, we must attend to it with diligence (Prov. 8:34), preparation (1 Pet. 2:1-2), and prayer (Ps. 119:18); receive it with faith (Heb. 4:2) and love (2 Thess. 2:10); lay it up in our hearts (Ps. 119:11), and practice it in our lives (Jas. 1:25).”

• Charles H. Spurgeon, Spurgeon’s Catechism (Scripture proofs in bold above)

“Q. 90. How is the Word to be read and heard, that it may become effectual to salvation?
“A. That the Word may become effectual to salvation we must attend thereunto with diligence, preparation, and prayer; receive it with faith and love; lay it up in our hearts; and practice it in our lives.”

• The Shorter Catechism (Westminster Assembly)

The Spurgeon Catechism and the Shorter Catechism are the same, and the Shorter Catechism two extra biblical proofs, both from the Gospel of Luke.  The Larger Catechism is not featured here as it breaks this concept down into a few questions, as in who should read the Scriptures and how should the Scriptures be read.  Remember that education at the point when the Shorter and Larger Catechisms were written was limited to the rich and elite.  It was moving toward everyone getting education, but most were still illiterate.  Yet, the Larger Catechism limited the public reading in a formal setting but encouraged all to read the Scriptures.

This question refers to the reading of God’s Word being effective toward salvation.  It could be read to us.  It could be a recorded version and we listen to the reading.  But the focus of the answer and biblical proofs is the part about being effective to salvation.

We listen to the Word of God being read, and when we focus on the Scriptures, with a reliable translation, we can sift through heresies and the like.  Whenever we feel that we have been given a message from God or whenever someone else makes that claim, we are asked to compare that to Scriptures.  Is the message biblical?  God does not change, and other than translations changing as language changes, the Scriptures do not change.  Thus, the Scriptures become foundational.

But we also need to pray.  In so doing, we can hear from God.

We need faith for salvation, but at that point of faith, the Holy Spirit enters our lives and illuminates the Scriptures for us.  We may not have the full understanding, but that understanding will grow as we read more and study with others.

And what a lot of people forget about, is the last bit of the answer, putting it into practice.

As a career instructional specialist in industry, I have seen charts that talk about reading, hearing, saying, and writing something.  Those activities yield about 10-20% retention.  Doing two or three of them together, might yield close to 50%, but we want people to remember more than half, don’t we?  To get beyond the fifty percent barrier, you must put what you have learned into practice, doing so in love.

And now let us sing.

The following song is sung by the Statler Brothers, Standing on the Promises.  We find those promises by reading and understanding His Holy Word.

“1 Standing on the promises of Christ, my King,
Through eternal ages let his praises ring;
Glory in the highest, I will shout and sing,
Standing on the promises of God.

Refrain:
Standing, standing,
Standing on the promises of God, my Savior;
Standing, standing,
I’m standing on the promises of God.

2 Standing on the promises that cannot fail.
When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
By the living Word of God I shall prevail,
Standing on the promises of God. [Refrain]

3 Standing on the promises of Christ, the Lord,
Bound to him eternally by love’s strong cord,
Overcoming daily with the Spirit’s sword,
Standing on the promises of God. [Refrain]

4 Standing on the promises I cannot fall,
List’ning ev’ry moment to the Spirit’s call,
Resting in my Savior as my all in all,
Standing on the promises of God. [Refrain]”

• Russell Kelso Carter, Standing on the Promises

Closing Prayer

Dear Lord,
You are all we need.  We learn more about You through Your Holy Word.  Help us to understand.  Help us to accept the Truth.  Fill us with the Holy Spirit so that we might know You better as we read Your Word and pray.  And help us to really learn what salvation means by loving our neighbor and showing Your Love to others.
In thy Name we pray.
Amen

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory.